Qantas answers questions on Emirates deal

QANTAS responds to News Limited's reader questions on their new partnership deal with Emirates airlines.

* If I am a Platinum Frequent Flyer with Qantas can I request an exit row if I am flying on a Qantas-coded flight on an Emirates plane? When I called Qantas I was told exit rows were reserved for Emirates frequent flyers. Sam

All customers travelling on Emirates operated flights, including Qantas codeshare customers, are unable to pre-select exit row seats in advance. The request for exit row seats are managed at airport check-in, regardless of frequent flyer status. There is no prioritisation by frequent flyer tier in the allocation of exit row seats.

From 31 March 2013, Qantas will fly to London via Dubai (rather than Singapore) with flights from Melbourne and Sydney to London via Dubai approximately 30 minutes shorter than via the pre 31 March network. There will be no change to your current Qantas Frequent Flyer points balance, and you will be able to use points to fly on any part of the Emirates network (as well as the Qantas network) – combined total of more than 175 destinations. You will also be able to earn Qantas Frequent Flyer points on both Emirates and Qantas Flights.

* Does this mean if I book a flight with Emirates I might end up on a Qantas plane? Tom

Yes. Emirates will also codeshare on Qantas operated flights. The airline that you will be flying with will be confirmed during the booking process as currently occurs.

* Will Qantas still fly to Asia? Sarah

Yes. Qantas flies directly from Australia to 10 destinations in Asia (including services operated by our partner airlines). In February, Qantas announced a series of changes to its Asia network that will deliver more dedicated seats, improved connections and a greater range of options when flying from Australia to Asia. The combined Qantas-Emirates network will offer double daily services to Singapore from Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, as well as a new destination, Kuala Lumpur.

* Does Qantas still fly to Frankfurt? Mark

In light of escalating losses on the Singapore-Frankfurt route, Qantas will cease to operate these services on 15 April 2013. Since the launch of Qantas’ international turnaround strategy in August 2011, Qantas has withdrawn from unprofitable routes. The Singapore-Frankfurt service has been unsustainable for many years. The high cost of fuel, combined with the high cost of not having a geographic hub advantage, has impacted the performance of the Frankfurt services. Qantas customers now have ‘one-stop’ access to Frankfurt on Qantas codeshare services with Emirates via Dubai, with three daily Dubai-Frankfurt services (for travel from 31 March 2013). Customers will also have one-stop access to an additional three destinations in Germany – Hamburg, Munich and Dusseldorf (for travel from 31 March 2013).

* What will happen to frequent flyer points already gained with both Qantas and Emirates? Ben

Qantas Frequent Flyer program points and Emirates Skywards program miles cannot be combined and points/miles are not transferable. Customers can earn Qantas Frequent Flyer points on both Emirates and Qantas flights, and use their points to fly on any part of the Emirates network (as well as all of the Qantas network) – a combined total of more than 175 destinations.

* Will Qantas still be flying to Singapore on July 26? We booked our flight last October and we are connecting with Finnair for a flight to Manchester? Barbara

Yes. Qantas will continue to fly directly from Australia to Singapore and onwards to Helsinki with our codeshare partner, Finnair (AY), and then connect to Finnair flights from Helsinki to a number of destinations in Europe. There will be no impact to your existing booking to travel to Manchester in July. Refer to the terms and conditions of your ticket to see if you are eligible to change to a one-stop service to Manchester via Dubai. The Qantas and Emirates partnership has also paved the way for the airline to significantly improve its services between Australia and Singapore. Through this partnership, passengers from Singapore will now have the choice of two daily flights from both Singapore to Brisbane and Singapore to Melbourne, split evenly between Emirates and Qantas. Qantas will operate a total of 35 services a week from Singapore to Australia, including its 14 services on these overlapping routes (as announced in February 2013).